These days the entire world seems wired. We can’t do much without our online access and, when we lose it, it doesn’t seem like we will be able to continue ahead. Our entertainment is tied up with the Internet, our jobs, connection with friends, and seemingly our outlet to the world beyond. Having access to the Internet is ideal in getting stuff done. Using your computer is a basic instinct at this point. When you can’t remember the name of an actor, look it up. When you can’t get a song out of your head, download it. Making plans for a night of fun with your friends – hop online and set a date. Your computer is a tool you more than likely use on a daily basis.

This is why keeping your computer in the right condition is priority. That means avoiding sites which cause damage. Keeping your computer in great shape is pretty simple in theory. Only visit sites that your browsers recognize as reputable. More often than not the browser will warn you about certain sites. Back away slowly and your computer won’t take any damage. In your email, only open messages from people you know or from reputable companies which you are expecting messages from. It doesn’t matter if the subject line of the message is some variety of “YOU WON!” or wonderful singles looking for a date in your area; just delete it without opening it. These messages are usually spam and may contain a virus. Lastly, don’t download games/movies/music from weird sites. Yes, everyone does it. People download free games and music all day, every single day. That’s how the world works at the moment. But at the end of the day it seems like paying $13 for a cd from iTunes or Amazon is a lot cheaper and easier than paying $400+ for someone to fix your computer.

A friend of mine works for a large mobile phone service company. Recently Apple released their iOS 8 and the update was meant for iPhones 4S and up. Apple made it pretty clear that the new OS would run just fine on all of these phones and people shouldn’t have a problem once they updated. So, once the new OS was released, people with 4S assumed the update would work just fine. And that’s where the trouble started. Since Apple had approved it to run well on the phone, people took their word for it and went ahead and downloaded it. It shows the power of a company, but it also shows how wrong a company is when it comes to making sure bugs are worked out of products.

So when my friend arrived at work the next day, things seemed a little weird. She assumed it was due to the upcoming release of the new phone and not, in fact, the mess that was to follow. People came in from around the city to complain about how badly their iPhones had been crippled by the new update. While the phone carrier wasn’t exactly the best place to go, it was clear that these people were coming there as their last resort. After speaking with customers for a few hours she learned that most of them had already called Apple over the issue. The restore to factory settings assistance hadn’t worked and they wanted to know if their mobile carrier could do anything about it. Sadly for them – they couldn’t.

At the end of the day my friend called to tell me about the issues. We talked about how bad it was that a company wouldn’t double and triple check something so big. As expensive as phones or computers are in our life, it’s up to the user now to decide for themselves. Take a few days before downloading the latest and greatest. Check reviews and learn now to download updates as soon as they are released. It might save you a lot of money in the future.

After work one evening I went out with a few coworkers to let off steam. All of us are in the ‘creative’ sector of the job field. There are painters, designers, and even writers in my little group. A large part of our work is actually done via our phones. For that reason, most of us are a little on the app-crazy side of things. We love whenever a new app comes out and most of us download it as soon as possible just to have the opportunity to play around with it. Of course, our phones hold some of the best apps for us and for our business. Our boss is able to keep in touch with all of us without bumbling around via email. Information is sent quickly and efficiently and teams can work together in real time. Each of us has our particular app of affection. The app that we feel handicapped without.

My app of choice is none other than Evernote. I know, I know. It’s an extremely popular app but there’s a particular reason why I adore it. The reason is also pretty simple – I’m messy. Not with housecleaning or that sort of messy, but with ideas. I’ll be in the middle of traffic and have a great idea for a new product of item. The notebook I used to keep had turned into a worn pile of random notes that no longer made sense. I’d lost more good ideas than I care to admit. Finally I broke down and got an app. I never thought I’d use it. For those of you unaware of what Evernote is, it’s a place to keep all yours thoughts in a safe place. You can collect articles from the web, write and takes notes, and even create a workplace to share with other people.

If you’re anything like me and keep a little help with making sure you remember your ideas, Evernote is for you.